


Ghosts, Not Hallucinations

by AlexTheShipper



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Dysfunctional Family, Family Drama, Family Feels, Gen, Ghosts, Haunting, Hurt No Comfort, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Luther Hargreeves Being an Asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 11:38:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18619885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexTheShipper/pseuds/AlexTheShipper
Summary: Klaus is sick and tired of being screamed at by ghosts, and the worst part is his family keeps assuming he's high and hallucinating every time he yells back, as if they don't even realize what his powers are.





	Ghosts, Not Hallucinations

“Then we have to,“

“ _Klaus help me!_ ”

“If we don’t have,”

“ _Klaussss help me help me!”_

“I’ll go in through the back”

“ _You have to help me Klaus help me_!”

“Klaus you’ll be-“

“Shut up!” Klaus screams, not at Luther but the ghost that keeps interrupting him. The ghost doesn’t, just takes another step closer forcing Klaus to scramble back. “Stay away.”

“ _Help me!”_ The ghost demands, blood gushing down his neck. It’s horrific.

“Klaus.” Luther’s voice is cautious, and Klaus notices the way his hands are help up in surrender. The ghost lumbers closer. “Klaus, I’ll stay right here.” Luther promises. Klaus flinches away from the ghost.

“Not you dumbass.” Klaus grumbles, dodging mangled incorporeal hands as they reach for his neck. “Him.” He flaps a hand at the ghost that no one else cans see. “He won’t shut up.”

“Klaus.” Luther says, and he’s quiet, his voice gentle. “Are you high.” It hurts in a way he shouldn’t, he’s definitely earned his reputation. Klaus laughs and it’s a bitter sound yanked from his chest in a way that’s almost painful.

“God, I fucking wish.” Klaus says, the words barely more than a whisper. There are many days when Klaus would have sold his soul for just a little more time without the ghosts coming back, he’d sold his body, the clothes off his back, everything.

“Klaus, if you relapsed you need to talk to us.” Luther says, as if seeing things no one else did wasn’t Klaus’ version of normal. The others nod, worry written across their features. Klaus feel’s bad, but a part of him is angry. A burning fire in the pit of a gut only fueled by the ghost taking another swing at him.

“You think I’m hallucinating?” He asks, ducking under the ghost’s fist and sliding towards the end of the couch. It’s not really a question, he knows the answer.  

“Yeah.” Luther says, and for them the room must be silent, but Klaus hasn’t known silence since he flushed the last of his stash. He shakes his head, and his shoulders tremble. He isn’t sure if he wants to laugh or cry.

“I knew you never even tried to understand, but this is a new low even for you Luther.” Klaus comments, because of all of them Luther had never tried. Klaus was the junkie failure, dad said so.

“Hey.” Luther protests, because he’s trying, they all are.

“Did you just forget what my power was?” Klaus asks, ignoring his protest. “It’s not a hallucination when I hear things you don’t Luther.” He steps forward, drawing up to his full height. “It’s not a result of the drugs, it’s the reason for them.”

“Reason?” Luther mumbles, and of course he never considered that Klaus would have a reason. Why didn’t any of them understand, he just wanted them to understand. He looked at the ghost, still reaching for him, dripping blood, and he reached out for his powers and pulled.

“The reason is to make them go away.” Klaus hissed, low under his breath. He just needed them to see. He heard a gasp, and when he looked down his hands shimmered blue.

“What the fuck is that?” Diego asked, and Klaus turned a slightly feral smile on him.

“That is what the world looks like when I’m sober.” He stabs a thumb towards the still screaming ghost and took a step towards Luther. “That is why I do drugs. That is what my power does. Me talking to things you can’t see has nothing to do with drugs Luther.”

“Klaus.” Luther’s voice is quiet, as he takes a step towards Klaus. The ghost lunges for him, and he jerks out of the way.

“Do you get it now?” Klaus asks. “Ben is the only one who ever understood, Ben didn’t have an off switch either, the creature was still there fighting him even when we couldn’t see it. All of you, with your super strength, and knife throwing, you never even tried to understand.” He waves a hand, and another ghost appears, one of Five’s posse. “The only off switch I ever had was being high, but I’ve been sober for weeks now, and it is hell, especially with the number of people you all killed violently.”

“What?” Allison asks, and he reaches for one of her ghosts, a bank robber with a hole in his chest. She flinches away from it.

“They like to haunt their murderers.” He says. “Then they notice I can hear them, and they haunt me.” His eyes take on the blue glow as a dozen dead become visible, shouting and screaming for attention.

“Just, turn it off.” Luther says, and Klaus hates him for it.

“I can’t Luther that’s the point.” He waves his hands and the blue glow fades. “They’re always here, and I always see them.” He shakes his head, trying to ignore the cold that set in deep in his bones.

“Klaus.” Luther whispers, and Klaus shakes his head.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I want to go take a nap.” He pushes past Luther ignoring the way his hands tremble.

“Klaus!” A few of them call after him, he can’t distinguish their voices from the ghosts. With a heavy heart he climbs the stairs.

Later there will be conversations, understanding, but right now he’s tired. He just wants some quiet. Just for a moment.

The bathtub is as close as he’ll get.


End file.
